EL MONTE >> The El Monte Union High School District’s board voted 3-2 on Wednesday to uphold a previous decision to hold an election in November.

The issue was first addressed in January because Senate Bill 415 requires elections at any government level be moved to coincide with a statewide election date. The board decided at its Jan. 11 meeting to continue with an election this year, rather than extend board members’ terms for a year and hold an election in 2018. By making this decision, the board agreed to change its election years at a later date to comply with SB 415.

The board decided to bring the matter to a vote again on Wednesday after the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder’s office estimated the district could save $167,000 by moving its 2017 election to 2018. All of the government offices on a ballot share the cost of the election, and in 2018, there would be more offices to share the expenses than there would be in 2017, according to the Registrar-Recorder.

Public comment during the meeting was predominantly in reference to this decision, but most of the speakers said the cost of an election this year would be worth it to vote current board members out of office.

Cathi Eredia, who described herself as a “long-time voting member of the community,” said “I do know that money is a huge concern,” but “where were their concerns when the district spent over $1 million of our taxpayer money to pay off the superintendent, to pay for two search teams to hire another qualified candidate, to then go and pay for her while she was out on administrative leave? … I don’t recall anybody voicing their opinion when spending those dollars.”

Eredia was referring to a controversy that roiled the district for most of last year, in which the board placed then-superintendent Irella Perez on leave for five months, during which she earned $83,335, before firing her in August.

“So we’re here, I’m here, to say that board members are seeing that they have to answer to their constituents,” Eredia added. “What I’m seeing now is a very big concern, and I want to choose who will sit on this board, and that’s why I’m requesting that the election stay in 2017.”

Representatives from both the teachers’ union and the classified union spoke out in favor of keeping the election in 2017, as well.

Later on, Torres de Siegrist defended herself against the claim that all board members have been supportive of unnecessary spending, saying she “never wanted to have big expenses trying to get an interim superintendent and spend so much money, because that’s a sin to spend all that money.” She said she always voted against those expenses.

Ultimately, board member Maria-Elena Talamantes said if the election were postponed until next year, she would feel the need to resign because of other responsibilities.

“I think that it is in the community’s best interest that they elect instead of having to have somebody be appointed to the position,” she said. “This is why I have not resigned or left, because I continue to be committed to this district.”

Board president Carlos Salcedo and vice president Maria Morgan did not comment on the issue, but they voted with Talamantes. Board members Ricardo Padilla and Esthela Torres de Siegrist cast the dissenting votes.

Hayley Munguia is an education reporter for the Southern California News Group. She previously worked as a data reporter for FiveThirtyEight and has written for The Week, the Jerusalem Post and the Austin American-Statesman, among other publications. She's originally from Austin, graduated from NYU and will pet a dog any chance she gets.

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